Rami Malek Garners Oscar Buzz After ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Preview

Talk in the movie industry turned to Rami Malek’s chances of winning an Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury after a preview showing of Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody over the weekend. The movie will be launched on Nov. 2 after its premiere in London on Oct. 23.

While reviewers are subject to an embargo over publishing their thoughts until closer to release time, many chose to share their initial thoughts after the Los Angeles screening. The consensus appeared to be that Malik’s work was remarkable, although opinions on the movie as a whole varied.

“If the idea was to firmly plant Rami Malek among top contenders for the best actor Oscar, then it was mission accomplished,” Deadline reported. “Malek proved beyond a doubt he was the right choice to play iconic Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in a performance that just pops off the screen, alternating between high energy and high drama, and brilliantly capturing both the man and the performer in all his complexity and style.”

Kyle Buchanan of the New York Times described the film as a “glorified Wikipedia entry” but added, “Rami Malek plays Freddie Mercury (and wears his wonderful costumes) with incredible gusto.” Mara Reinstein of US Weekly held a similar viewpoint, asking: “How do you turn an ok movie into a good one? Five words: Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury.” Rebecca Ford of the Hollywood Reporter noted, “Rami is fantastic, and very passionate about telling Freddie's story.”

Asked last month about the chances of winning an Academy Award, Malek told Jimmy Kimmel: “The greatest honor from playing someone like Freddie Mercury is getting the acceptance of his legendary bandmates Brian May and Roger Taylor.” But he added, “[An] Oscar's big. There's no doubt about it. I'm not gonna lie and say you wouldn't consider that a massive accomplishment.”